ONONDAGA COUNTY – As with most programs, the boys soccer teams at Cicero-North Syracuse and Liverpool have gone through plenty of great and sad moments when going through the Section III Class AA playoffs.
More of both feelings would take place in 2022, wherever the Northstars and Warriors were seeded.
And it was C-NS carrying serious momentum into the post-season based on four consecutive wins that started when it beat Liverpool 2-0 on Oct. 6 and continued through the last week of the regular season.
This culminated Saturday with the Northstars’ victory over West Genesee in another 2-0 decision where a single goal in each half was enough to keep the Wildcats contained.
Gagan Adhikari scored, as did Aaron Huksic, with Jackson Petzoldt picking up an assist. Again, C-NS’s defense stood out, limiting WG to five shots, all stopped by Wyatt Dupell.
Before all this, C-NS, avoiding a letdown from the Liverpool win, was successful again in lastTuesday’s game at Nottingham, where it edged the Bulldogs 2-1.
Having lost 1-0 at home to Nottingham in mid-September, the Northstars turned it around despite an intense Bulldogs attack that had plenty of opportunities to get on the board.
Dupell stopped 10 of 11 shots, and when Adhikari and Adam Bonnier picked up goals with an assist credited to Petzoldt, C-NS was able to prevail.
Far easier for C-NS was its 6-0 win over Henninger on Thursday where Petzoldt’s pair of goals led a well-balanced attack that managed to score three times in each half.
Adhikari found the net, as did Zach Scott, Adam Bonnier and Titus Dimitroff, with Dante Melfi earning a pair of assists and Jacob Dietter also getting an assist.
Liverpool recovered from defeats to C-NS and West Genesee the week before by going to Corcoran last Tuesday and toying with the Cougars in a 6-1 victory.
Edis Omerovic and Patrick Ninimeh led the charge, each getting two goals and one assist. Diarouga Docure had one goal and one assist, with Antonio Wilson adding a goal and Nick Hope getting an assist.
When the Warriors had a rematch with West Genesee on Thursday night, though, it muddled through the rain in Camillus and was kept off the board in a 1-0 defeat to the Wildcats.
They were scoreless until, with 10 minutes left in the first half, WG got in front thanks to Tyler Wavercak’s goal, assisted by Christian Long.
With all kinds of time to equalize, the Warriors put on a fair amount of pressure, especially in the second half, but all eight of its shots were turned back by Wildcats goalie Anthony Augello.
Playing once more on Saturday, Liverpool edged Fulton 2-1, with Doucre notching one goal and assisting on Nick Hope’s tally as Omerovic assisted on Doucre’s goal.
As it turned out, Liverpool would draw the no. 3 sectional seed, meaning yet another match with West Genesee, the no. 6 seed, in Friday night’s quarterfinal, two days after C-NS, as the no. 4 seed, would battle no. 5 seed Baldwinsville for a spot in next week’s semifinal round.
